Hair and scalp cleaner



L. HAZZARD HAIR AND SCALP CLEANER July 21, 1959 Filed May 27. 1958 1 NV EN TOR:

2,895,487 HAIR ANDSCAIQP CLEANER Lillian Hazzard, New York, i

. Application May 21, 1958, Serial No. 738,229 7 Claims. or. 132-110 My invention relates to comb-like devices for cleaning hair and scalp. Ordinary combs and brushes cannot remove soot and dustrfro'm the hair, but rather cause the dirt to mix with natural or applied hair oilor moisture. whereby asticky 'and eventually hardening mixture is formed and the hair hecomes unsanitary, unattractive and eventually brittle. Objects of my invention are to avoid thesedrawbacks, to remove soot, other dirt and excessive moisture from hair *and scalp,.and to absorb dirt and. moisture by a soft material covering all surfaces of the comb teeth'which might contact the hair and the scalp. Another object is to make possible a convenient exchange of the absorbent inateria-l whereby the device can be used permanently without losing itscleaning capacity.

Further objects are. to provide the exchangeable material in form of a simple pad, to stretch parts of this pad about the teeth when the pad is placed in the device, thereby to' make unnecessary the expensive prefabrication of pads fitting the teeth, and to provide simple means for attaching the pad to the comb and stretching it into the desired shape. f

Still other objects are to provide teeth which are. adapted to stretch the absorbent pad without. piercing through it, to. shapethe teeth so that they will readily pass through in any. direction, and to arrange the teeth in several rows whereby hair can pass between. the rows in a slightly compressed conditionwhich produces thorough cleaning.

Still further objects are to attain these results with a device which is simple and inexpensive, can be easily made of a few parts without expensive molds, and which can be easily maintained in effective condition. Still other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an exemplifying embodiment of my invention, from the appendedclaims and from the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Unit Sims tent Fig. 1 shows a front view of anillhstrative embodiment of my invention in assembled condition.

Fig. 2 shows a side view seen from the right side in Fig. l, a not assembled position of some parts of the device being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. l and represented on a larger scale than the other figures.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a modification of a part of the same embodiment.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 1 indicates a handle of which a continuation 2 forms a base for a number of teeth 4. The teeth are permanently aihxed to the base 2. For example, they are made in one comb-shaped piece with the base 2 and the handle 1. Each tooth 4 tapers conically to a rounded tip. Preferably, the teeth are arranged in a plurality of rows. For example, the shown embodiment comprises three parallel rows extending along the base 2. The teeth 4 or the entire comb 2, 3, 4 maybe made of any suitable, preferably somewhat resilient material, for example of plastic material.

A hood 5 has a concave side which, in assembled'position, faces the base 2 whereby base and hood include a space. The hood and this space extend along and across the base about as far as the latter. In the direction perpendicular to the base, this space is narrower than the length of the teeth 4. The hood 5 has apertures for the passage of the teeth. These apertures are so wide that the teeth passing through them are spaced from the circumference of the apertures. s

Means are provided for guiding and for attaching the hood 5 to the base 2. For example, the hood has lobes 6 extending at one of its ends and connected by a hinge pintle 7 with a lobe 8 extending from the handlell whereby the hood is hingedly connected with the base. In. addition, the hood may be fastened disengageably to the base by an extension 9 of the other end of the hood which snaps over an edge of the base. h

A pad 11 made of rubber-like highly stretchable and absorbent material, preferably of soft, sponge-like porous plastics, may have an original fiat shape of rectangular cross-section as shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines, In assembled condition, the main part of the pad .11 .is confined in the space between the hood and the base and may be curved to fit the hood cavity. Parts 12 of the pad are forced by the teeth 4 through the apertures of 'thehood and form conical projections surrounding completely the portions of the teeth which project through these apertu-res.

The pad 11 may be molded or die-cast or die-cut. It may haveuniform texture or consistency. Or its softness and porosity maybe greater at one fiat side than at the other. For example, the pad may consist oitwo layers 13 and 14 (see Fig. 2 in dottedlines) of which the layer 13 is softer than the layer 14. These layers may be united, for example, by plastic cement.

Instead of the hood 5 shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a hood 15 as shown in Fig. 4 may be used. The hood 5 has the advantage that it does not require a special mold, It is made of, preferably plastic, wires which are formed into a network. The wires may be then heated and pressed to unite solidly at the meeting points. Looped extensions 16 of the net wires replace the lobes 6. A hook-shapedex tension. 17 of the net replaces the clamping extension 9.

The pad 11 is inserted between thehood 5 or .15, and the base 2 in the following manner: After release of the clamp 9 or 17, the hood is spaced from thebaseby turn.- ing the hood about the hinge 7, for example, into the position shown inFig. 2 in dotted lines. Then, thepad is placed in the spacebetween the hood andthebase in any suitable position, for example, as shownin. Fig.2 in dotted lines. Or the padmay be. placed into the cavity of the hood or across the tips of the teeth 4. i p

Then the hood is turned about the hinge 7 toward the base until the extension 9 or 17 snaps over the upper edge of the base. During this movement, the teeth 4 pass through apertures of the hood, stretching parts of the pad through the same apertures while the other parts of the pad are retained by the solid material of the hood. Thereby the stretched pad parts form projections which closely surround all sides of the parts of the teeth which project beyond the hood.

When the so assembled device is used in the manner of a comb, the projecting pad parts 12 absorb and remove dirt and excessive moisture. When these pad parts have absorbed so much dirt that their cleaning capacity is exhausted, the pad is replaced by a fresh pad. This can be done easily by opening the hood temporarily.

I desire it understood that my invention. is not confined to the particular embodiment shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that my inveniton may be carried out in other ways within the scope of -the-appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular em-- bodiment shown and described is only one of the many that may be employed to attain the objects of my invention, a a I Having described the nature of my invention, what -I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A-hair and scalp cleaner comprising a comb having a base and teeth extending from said base, a hood secure dtosaid base in a position in which said hood and base include a space narrower than the length of "said-teeth, said hood having apertures of a width allowing passage of said teethin positions spaced from the ciradapted to be placed between said hood and said whereby,'when said hood is moved-toward said'base, said cumference-of said-apertures, and a pad made in origi- 1 nally substantially flat shapeof absorbent, rubber-like stretchable material, having a thicker part in said space tand-having'thinner parts stretched resiliently out of said thicker part through said apertures about said teeth.

'-A- hair and scalp cleaner comprising a comb hav' ing-a base and teeth extending from said base, a hood adapted to be moved toward and to be secured to said base in a position in which said hood and base include a space'narrowe'r than the length ofsaid teeth, said hood having apertures of a width allowing passage of said teeth in positions spaced from the circumference of said apertures, and a pad made in originally substantially fiat shape of absorbent, rubber-like stretchable material adapted to be-placed between said hood and said teeth whereby,

when said hood is moved toward said base, said teeth 5 stretch parts oisaid pad resiliently out of said flat shape through said apertures into positions about'said teeth.

3. A hair and scalp cleaner comprising a comb having a base and teeth extending from said base, a hood havingone end hingedly connected to said base and another end releasably engaging said base whereby said hood is secured to said base in a position in which said hood and base include a spaceharrower than the length of said teeth said hood having apertures of a width allowing passage of said teeth in positions spaced from the circumference of said apertures, and a pad made in originally substantially flat shape of absorbent, rubber-like "stretchable material adapted to be placed between said hood and said teeth whereby, when said hood is moved toward said base, said teeth stretch parts of said pad resiliently out of said flat shape through said apertures into position about said teeth.

. 4. A hair and scalp cleaner comprising a comb having a base'and' teeth extending from said base, having rounded tips and tapering conically toward said tips, a s

teethin positions spaced from the circumference of 'said teeth stretch parts of said pad resiliently out of said flat shat lale through said apertures into positions about said tee 5. A hair and scalp cleaner comprising a comb having a base and several rows of teeth extending from said base, a hood adapted to be moved toward and to be secured to said base in a position in which said hood and base include a space narrower than the length of said teeth, saidhood having apertures of a width allowing passage of said teeth in positions spaced from the circumference of-said' apertures, and a pad madein originally substantially flat shape of absorbent, rubber-like stretchable material adapted to'be 'placed between said hood and said teeth whereby, when said hood is moved toward said base, said teeth stretch parts of said pad resiliently out of said flat shape through said apertures into positionsfiabout said teeth. r

6. A hair and scalp cleaner comprising a comb having a base and teeth extending fromsaid base, a*hood adapted to be moved toward and to'be 'securedto-rsaid base'in a position in which said hood and base include a space narrower than the length of said teeth, said hood having apertures of a width allowing passage of said teeth in positions spaced from the circumference ofv 'said apertures, and a pad made in originally substantially :flat

shape of absorbent, rubber-like stretchable material adapted to be placed between said hood and saidteeth whereby, when said hood is moved toward said base, said teeth stretch parts 'of'said pad resiliently out of said flat shapethrough said apertures into positions about-said teeth, said pad having two layers of difierent softness. 7. A hair and scalp cleaner comprising a comb having a base and teeth extending from said base,a hood adapted to be moved toward and to be secured to said base in a position in which said hood and base include a space narrower than the length of said teeth, said hood being made of wires forming-a network having apertures of a width allowing passage of said teeth in positions spaced from the circumference of said apertures, and a pad made of absorbent, rubber-like stretchable material adapted to be placed between said hood and said teeth whereby, when said hood is moved toward said base, said teeth stretch parts of said pad through said aperturesinto positions about said teethr References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Newman July 28, 1953 

